A Boeing 737 MAX 8 circled for hours following a pressurization issue.
Korean Air flight #KE189 to Taichung City, Taiwan returned to Seoul on Saturday, June 22 2024.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration HL8352) departed Seoul 17:09 KST and climbed to 35,500 ft with 125 passengers on board.
But 20 minutes later, the crew received a warning about a fault in the pressurization system. The aircraft suddenly suffered a loss of pressurization triggering the oxygen masks to release over the passengers.
The pilots immediately decided a necessary rapid descent to 8,000 ft but it caused some passengers to suffer ear pain.
The flight circled during 40 minutes over the sea before turning back to Incheon International Airport where it landed on runway 16R 2 hours and 30 minutes after the departure.
The plane was met by emergency services. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, 13 passengers were taken to hospital after landing.
The flight resumed on the morning of June 23 with a different Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration HL8351), about 19 hours after the initial departure schedule.
The Korean Air spokesperson was reported as saying that the airline is currently investigating the exact cause of the diversion, and plans to put the aircraft under maintenance after an inspection.